G Suite Developers Blog

Integrating your Rails application with Google Apps and the Apps Marketplace

December 21, 2010

Editor’s note: Vincent Van Gemert is a software engineer at Floorplanner, an online floor planning application which launched in June on the Google Apps Marketplace.launching it1. The initial setupSign In<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<ApplicationManifest xmlns="http://schemas.google.com/ApplicationManifest/2009">

<Name>[ApplicationName]</Name>
<Description>[Description]</Description>


<Support>

<Link rel="setup" href="[ApplicationSetupUrl]?domain=${DOMAIN_NAME}" />


<Link rel="manage" href="[ApplicationAdminUrl]?domain=${DOMAIN_NAME}" />


<Link rel="support" href="[ApplicationHelpUrl]" />


<Link rel="deletion-policy" href="[ApplicationPolicyUrl]" />
</Support>


<Extension id="navLink" type="link">
<Name>[ApplicationName]</Name>
<Url>[ApplicationLoginUrl]?domain=${DOMAIN_NAME}</Url>

<Scope ref="contactFeed"/>
<Scope ref="spreadsheetFeed"/>
<Scope ref="doclistFeed"/>
</Extension>


<Extension id="realm" type="openIdRealm">
<Url>[ApplicationRealm]</Url>
</Extension>

<Scope id="doclistFeed">
<Url>https://docs.google.com/feeds/</Url>
<Reason>[Reason]</Reason>
</Scope>

<Scope id="contactFeed">
<Url>https://www.google.com/m8/feeds/</Url>
<Reason>[Reason]</Reason>
</Scope>

</ApplicationManifest>setup page2. Rails libraries and OpenID

OAuth Gem

Ruby-openid

Rack-openid

Ruby-openid-apps-discovery

properly configured realmdef login

# The domain needs to be set. For example with params[:domain]
authenticate_with_open_id(params[:domain]),
{ :required => ["http://axschema.org/contact/email"], :return_to => '/login'}) do |result, identity_url, registration|

if result.successful?
# Succesfully logged in, retrieve email address
email = get_email(registration)
else
# Failed to login
end
end

end

def get_email(registration)

ax_response = OpenID::AX::FetchResponse.from_success_response(
request.env[Rack::OpenID::RESPONSE])
ax_response.data["http://axschema.org/contact/email"].first

endCreating a Listing3. Using the Google Data APIsgranted the appropriate permissionsCONSUMER_KEY = "Your-consumer-key"
CONSUMER_SECRET = "Your-consumer-secret"

def get_contacts

# Retrieve contacts
email = "user@email.com"
url = "https://www.google.com/m8/feeds/contacts/default/full?xoauth_requestor_id=#{email}"
contacts = gdata_request(url, :get)

end

def gdata_request(url, method, headers = {}, data = "")

uri = URI.parse(url)

# Setting up two-legged-oauth
consumer = OAuth::Consumer.new(CONSUMER_KEY, CONSUMER_SECRET)
oauth_params = {:consumer => consumer, :method => method, :request_uri => uri.to_s}

# Set Net:HTTP connection
http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = (uri.port == 443)

if method == :post
req = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri.request_uri)
req.body = data
else
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri.request_uri)
end

# Set authorization header
oauth_helper = OAuth::Client::Helper.new(req, oauth_params)
req.initialize_http_header(headers.merge({'Authorization' => oauth_helper.header}))

# Execute request
response = http.request(req)
response.body

endOAuth PlaygroundGoogle Docs documentationdef submit_csv_to_gdocs

email = 'user@email.com'
url = 'https://docs.google.com/feeds/default/private/full?xoauth_requestor_id=#{email}'

# Create new CSV
csv = StringIO.new

CSV::Writer.generate(csv, ',') do |line|
line << ["Example 1", "Example 2"]
end

csv.rewind

# Send request
gdata_request(url, :post,
{ 'Content-Type' => 'text/csv',
'Slug' => 'test.csv',
'GData-Version' => '3.0' },
csv.read)

endGoogle Apps Marketplace Developer overviewOAuth Playground

Set the signature method to HMAC-SHA1

Type in your consumer key and consumer secret (these can be found in your Vendor Profile)

Set your Feed URL (step 6)

Set GData-version to 3.0 unless the API only supports 2.0

Click execute

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Preview the New Marketplace Billing APIs

December 14, 2010

billing APIsGoogle Apps MarketplaceSlideRocketGQueuesCohumanWikiFYDAPI documentationpayment policyFAQGoogle Apps Marketplace Developer Community groupPosted by Rui Jiang, Google Apps Marketplace TeamWant to weigh in on this topic? Discuss on Buzz

New version of .Net Gdata client library

December 2, 2010

We just released version 1.7 of the .NET GData client library which adds support for two extensions of the Google Apps Provisioning API: Organization Units and Multiple Domains. It also adds a default retry count for failed HTTP requests and fixes a set of issues, including one on the implementation of the ResumableUploader component introduced in the previous version.For the complete list of changes, check the Release Notes: http://google-gdata.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/clients/cs/RELEASE_NOTES.HTMLThe new version of the .NET GData client library can be downloaded from http://code.google.com/p/google-gdata/downloads/list and, as usual, you are invited to report issues of file feature requests at http://code.google.com/p/google-gdata/issues/list.Posted by Claudio Cherubino, Developer Relations TeamWant to weigh in on this topic? Discuss on Buzz

Expanding the Google Apps Reporting API for resellers

December 1, 2010

Google Enterprise BlogGoogle Apps Reporting API

Accounts – Contains a list of the customer’s end-user accounts on a particular day.

Activity – Identifies the number of customer end-user accounts as well as the number of active and idle accounts over several different time periods.

Disk Space – Shows the amount of disk space used by a customer’s mailboxes.

Email Clients – Identifies how the customer’s end-users access their accounts on a day-by-day basis.

Summary – Contains the customer’s total number of accounts, total mailbox storage usage and total mailbox quota.

over 2,000 and growinglearn more and get startedWant to weigh in on this topic? Discuss on Buzz

The next Marketing Test Kitchen: celebrating customer success

November 17, 2010

Add to Apps OutrightProducteevInsyncMavenlinkZohoManymoondo it nowThe Next Challenge:
marketing-test-kitchen@google.comherehereMarketplace Success StoriesFind tell publish share track What makes a compelling customer?

Highlights the value of your app: For example, their use of your app in conjunction with various other web apps, such as other Marketplace apps.

Hard data to support success: Numbers that justify strong gains are important, ie: 50% productivity gains, 10% increase in revenue, 20% reduction in IT costs.

Passionate about Google Apps and the cloud: A genuinely passionate customer can explain the advantages of a cloud-based business and more easily help prospects understand and transition.

How can I make it easily consumable?
standard template

Be visual: Use tools such as Picnik and Aviary to tell your story with compelling visuals (or choose another creative tool).

Organize your presentation: You can use Google Presentations or SlideRocket to succinctly tell your story.

Use video: Shoot or animate a video of your customer telling their Apps Marketplace story.

Be creative: Combine the above ideas, write a story, or come up with something totally different.

Marketplace Success Stories

find tell publish share emailcode links and track trafficCome up with the next Marketing Test KitchenBuzzemail
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Documents List API now supports more file types

November 4, 2010

Posted by Russ Jorgensen, Google Docs TeamWant to weigh in on this topic? Discuss on Buzz

Introducing the Apps Ecosystem Marketing Test Kitchen

November 2, 2010

call to action
The Challenge:
The vendors who drive the most traffic and installs to their Marketplace listing page through their “Add to Apps” button between Nov 9th - 16th will be included in the front page Featured and Notable sections on the Apps Marketplace site.

Why participate in the challenge and use an “Add to Apps” button?
The “Add to Apps” button will improve your listing’s performance.

Increase Conversions: Reduces the risk of users getting lost while navigating between the Marketplace and your website, which will result in a better experience for users and more installs for you.
More Accurate tracking: Properly encoding the button URL using Google Analytics will enhance data-driven tracking so that we can better work together to understand and improve the user acquisition funnel.
Bonus - Get a front page feature: The six (6) top traffic/install drivers during the challenge time-frame will be featured on the homepage. We will list:

The top two (2) traffic/installs drivers by pure volume.
The top four (4) in traffic/install growth from previous weeks.

If you already use an “Add to Apps” button, then you are one step ahead. If not, add one to get in on the challenge. We will start tracking on November 9th, so you’ll want to get started properly coding and testing your button.

How do I participate and succeed in this test kitchen challenge?

Add the “Add to Apps” button properly.
Make sure the page is the “Vendor product home page” link in your listing on the Marketplace
Use marketing techniques to drive traffic through your landing page and potentially get featured on our front page.
Use analytics to check visits made through the “button” medium, and see your traffic flowing to your app.

This test kitchen should be an exciting way to cook up some tasty campaigns. If you have any good ideas or suggestions, pass them along to marketing-test-kitchen@google.com. Check for new challenges on this blog. In order to stay on top of any news on initiatives, also follow our Buzz, Twitter, and subscribe to our email list.

Posted by Harrison Shih, Associate Product Marketing Manager, Google Apps Marketplace

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